Big 12 move excites Mountaineers

Tuesday

Jul 24, 2012 at 3:14 PM

Kevin Haskin

DALLAS — The changeover into the Big 12 is not something Dana Holgorsen approaches as a fresh newcomer.

While he is entering his second year as the football coach at West Virginia, Holgorsen spent nine of the past 12 seasons in the Big 12 as an assistant at Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. So he has apprised players, and even fans, what to expect in their new conference.

"We’re getting into the same thing we’ve got at home,’’ Holgorsen said of the Mountaineers’ rapid following. "That didn’t necessarily exist in the conference that we were in last year.’’

Conversely, West Virginia will not be easy to conquer either.

"I would suggest to be friendly with our fans,’’ said quarterback Geno Smith. "If you get on their bad side, there’s no telling what they might do.’’

That particular visit could easily become one of the most difficult in the league if West Virginia meets expectations. It was picked second in a poll of conference media. Smith and wide receiver Tavon Austin were named preseason all-league.

The notoriety is based, in part, on the 70-33 drubbing the Big East champs handed Clemson in last season’s Orange Bowl. The lead-in to that game saw the Mountaineers improve as much in a short span as any team Holgorsen ever was associated with as a coach.

"We want to make sure every game can be a 70-point game for us,’’ said Smith, "so we’re in the national championship discussion. It’s all about game. If it takes points, that’s what we’re going to do.’’

The exposure the Mountaineers receive in their new conference promises to be more significant.

"It’s going to be West Coast to East Coast,’’ Holgorsen said. "They’re going to be put in some venues to be able to shine if they can handle that. That’s our job as coaches to make sure they’re prepared. So managing expectations is part of our job.’’

At least Holgorsen will be doing so in a league he helped shape as an offensive innovator. He added Joe DeForest, a longtime assistant at Oklahoma State, to help his players and assistants transition into the Big 12.

Essentially the message is to expect fireworks.

"You’re going to score points. You’re going to give up big plays,’’ Holgorsen said. "It doesn’t mean that the game’s over. You’ve just got to keep playing defensively. I think we’ve got some guys in place that understand that.’’

GUNDY FULFILLS MESSAGE: Not so long ago when Mike Gundy had learned of the lucrative infusion of support T. Boone Pickens would provide Oklahoma State football, the chance to compete for a national title loomed on the horizon.

Only it was difficult for Gundy to convey that message.

"There was just a small percentage of people that believed that who were at these (media) meetings and probably 99 percent of those people were in orange,’’ Gundy recalled.

Now, coming off a Big 12 championship the Cowboys parlayed into a Fiesta Bowl victory and 12-1 finish, it is obvious Oklahoma State can contend on the national stage.

"As long as we continue to work hard and do the right things,’’ said Gundy, "we’ll have that opportunity.’’

LUNT A YOUNG STUDY: One of the biggest challenges for Oklahoma State will be the need to quickly develop Wes Lunt, the true freshman who was named the starting quarterback coming out of spring camp.

Lunt replaces Brandon Weeden, who was 28 when he exhausted his eligibility at Oklahoma State and moved on to the NFL. Gundy did not hesitate to mention the issues Lunt faces in mastering the Cowboys’ hurry-up attack.

"The experience in seeing defenses and knowing where blitzes are coming from, what the coverages are and where to go with the football is so important,’’ Gundy said. "For a quarterback to develop our style of offense, they gain unbelievable experience through going out there and playing in games.’’

BROWN FULL OF CHEER: Most mascots of Big 12 teams accompanied their coaches into the large room where press conferences were conducted during media days.

Mack Brown, however, was ushered in by an odd assortment of cheerleaders representing all the Big 12 schools.

"We’ll just ask them to step up and answer any questions that we need here. They got my back,’’ Brown said.

When asked who the cheerleaders would prefer to see quarterback the Longhorns, Brown did not hesitate.

"They would want the worst one,’’ he said. "I think that would be without question.’’

A coach who just received yet another raise to boost his annual compensation to $5.2 million can afford considerable support. Still, Brown and the Longhorns find themselves in a position where improvement is still needed to meet high expectations after UT followed a 5-7 collapse in 2010 with an 8-5 run to the Holiday Bowl last season.

The big question for UT remains at quarterback, where David Ash and Case McCoy continue a competition that was never settled a year ago.

"We need to play better at quarterback,’’ Brown confirmed. "That means we need to have more explosive plays from that position and at the same time we need to protect the ball better.’’

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